


The Arc of Ascension, Fragment s9,4: The Omnic and the Weapon

by bzarcher, solarbird



Series: Of Gods and Monsters [54]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Background Relationships, Canon Lesbian Character, Conversations, Crimes & Criminals, Diplomacy, Frenemies, Gambling, Gen, Old Friends, Omnics, Other, Post-Talon, Post-Talon Widowmaker | Amélie Lacroix, Reconciliation, Talon Emily (Overwatch), Talon Lena "Tracer" Oxton, casino - Freeform, monaco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 17:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15890457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bzarcher/pseuds/bzarcher, https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarbird/pseuds/solarbird
Summary: The new gods have risen, ready to grapple with a world of heroes. Moira O'Deorain herself has been reborn, now made one of the creations her previous self meant to rule, and she works with her wife - the goddess Mercy - and their ensemble of new deities to remake the world, toimproveit... for everyone.Since everything's been going so well, Emily decides to look up an old friend of her own.Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Ascensionis a continuance ofOf Gods and Monsters: The Arc of CreationandThe Armourer and the Living Weapon. It will be told in a series of eddas, sagas, interludes, fragments, texts, and cantos, all of which serve their individual purposes. To follow it as it appears,please subscribe to the series.





	The Arc of Ascension, Fragment s9,4: The Omnic and the Weapon

_[February, 2079]_

Maximilien watched over the casino floor from an intentionally quite visible and traditional observation office situated above and opposite the cashier's cages. The largest two VIP rooms could also be viewed from the opposite wall of said office, should he chose to do so. Either way, he preferred to be seen, as much as he preferred to see. Cameras, after all, could handle the latter - the former could only be him.

Particularly since his rather _abrupt_ departure from what had been Talon, being _seen_ had become particularly important.

He watched the flow of humanity make its way through the rows of machines, on one side of the garden - as he liked to think of it - and through the tables and wheels of the other side, and listened to the throwing of the dice, the _chonk_ of the old-fashioned mechanical slot machines, and the many, many sounds of the small white balls bouncing off dividers in wheels, eventually landing, sometimes loudly, sometimes softly, in their destined boxes.

All his equipment was rigidly honest. It didn't need to be anything less, after all. This was a casino. What kind of clown would it take to lose money on a casino?

He stiffened - or rather, stood slightly taller and straighter from his already quite tall stance - as he saw a striking woman with dark blue hair enter the garden and wander over to one of the higher-stakes craps tables, a smaller woman in a smartly tailored black suit by her side - hair dark brown or dark blue, he couldn't be sure, but it didn't matter. _Them. And they wish me to see them. That means..._

"Hello, Moira," he said, quietly, hearing the faintest of whispers behind him, the coalescence of smoke which signaled her emergence. He felt almost surprised he'd had time to process the sound before dying, but if she was going to grant him that, so be it.

"Sorry, Max," he heard the voice behind him say, as he turned, slowly, to see Emily Gardner sitting in his guest chair, sipping at one of his own casino's cocktail glasses. Gin and tonic, apparently. How very English of her. "Wrong goddess. But I'll tell auntie you thought of her."

 _Now I really am surprised_ , he thought. _They sent a trio of Weapons, and yet, I still live. That means they **want** me alive. How fascinating._

He remained at the observation window, choosing not to sit at his desk. The high backed chair and heavy oak desktop were merely affectations unless he actually felt like writing something down, which - despite his rather impressive fountain pen collection - he never did.

Except, of course, when he had an opportunity to demonstrate the pens.

"Normally,” he said in a carefully measured tone, “guests to this office are by invitation only - though in your case I suppose an exception is to be expected."

"Ah, c'mon, mate - it's just me. Just Emily." She smiled, in that slightly frightening way she always did. "Thought I'd pop by, check up on an old friend. We've been doing a lot of that, lately."

They _had_ been friends of a sort, he supposed. Before her rebirth, Gardner had always had a slightly dangerous, manic edge to her, but the armourer had always treated him with respect and deference, and he had done his best to stay in the assassin’s good graces.

"I am aware," he said, carefully. "Particularly Mei-Ling Zhou, and certain other members of what used to be Overwatch. I'd anticipated that effort being rather one-sided, given the way you... _reconnected_ with dear Jabari.”

"Not at all," she said, still with the smile. She gave the impression of being quite relaxed as she sipped at her drink. No obvious blades or guns, but of course not - he knew better than to think that would matter. "How has Russia been, anyway?"

"Terrible," he replied with a sigh. "The winters are abominable, as always. The company only mildly less so." There was no point in lying about _that._

Emily raised an eyebrow. "And yet, it's taken so long for you to return home."

"It's not the first time," Maximilien said smugly. 

"First time you've actually been back for more than a few hours," she said, pointedly, gesturing with her glass. "Volskaya's attitude finally got to you?"

"Volskaya is a reasonable person, despite her public face. It's more her _circle_ I cannot abide." He walked away from the window, at last, and sat at his desk. "So. Why _are_ you here?"

Emily set set her glass down on the table beside her chair. "Just a bit of friendly outreach, honestly. That's all. What with Ziegler making it work with Dr. Zhou, I thought, hey, let's give Max a go. Talked it over with a few people, and here I am." She picked the glass up, and took a sip. "Even Michael thought it was a reasonable idea."

 _All the doctors_ , he thought. _Of course. That would doubtless be necessary._ Maximilien simulated a resigned sigh. "You want me to ‘come in’, I suppose. Are you making one of your _offers?_ "

"Not in that sense, no."

He tilted his head to the side, a bit of his surprise bleeding into his voice. "No?"

"Nah,” Emily assured him easily. “We know you're not the sort. But," she said in a quieter voice, looking serious, for a change. "We've only got one Omnic goddess. She's great - we all love her - but one voice isn't enough. We're looking for... an advisor, I suppose."

"A casino-operating terrorist as your Omnic advisor?" Somehow, even with his hardware, he managed to smirk. "You must be joking."

"Not at all," she said, still serious. "In fact, that's why. You're proof - more than Orisa, even - that omnics aren't stuck to their programming. You're as far from that as any omnic we've ever met, even the Shambali - and even that hacker." She leaned forward in her chair. " _That's_ why. We know omnics can be more - a lot more - than they are."

"Then you wish to study me?" he asked, warily. "Someone - perhaps a friend - once told me she did not enjoy being _studied_ , and advised against it. I understand why, and do not wish to repeat her experiences."

Emily laughed a single, quiet laugh, and smiled a little, again. "Na, that's not - no. That's not what we're doing. We just want to be able to talk. To get your _private_ advice. Particularly where omnics are concerned." She lifted her glass, and took another sip. "Discretely, of course."

"Of course," he said, with the slightest nod, thoughts galloping ahead as he realised he might actually survive this encounter.

"You've always been good at keeping secrets. I like that."

"I have, indeed. Often for many sides at once."

"The house always wins, doesn't it? On both sides of the bet."

"Of _course_ ," he repeated with just a touch more satisfaction in his tone.

"Well," the goddess said, "looks like you've only been playing one side lately. Sounds like bad business, to me." She leaned forward, her smile again large. "How about playing both, instead?"

 _They're certain they're going to win_ , he thought, looking at the Weapon's smile. Emily Gardner had never been a good liar, and had never really even practiced it. Blades were, if nothing else, completely honest. _And I think... they may be right._

"Well," he said, after a moment. "Why not? Should you need my advice... I would most likely be open to offering it."

"Brilliant," Emily said, as she stood. She reached into a small bag he'd ignored as too small for a useful weapon, and pulled out a small data card. "We know how to reach you, of course. Here's how to reach _us_. Your eyes only, please."

"Certainly," he said, standing, and taking the card, putting it to the side, and then offering his hand. "It's been unexpectedly pleasant seeing you again, Emily."

"You too, Max," she said, taking his hand. "You too."

**Author's Note:**

> This is the twenty-fourth instalment of _Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Ascension_. To follow this story, [subscribe to the series via this link](https://archiveofourown.org/series/972024), rather than to the individual works.


End file.
